Ensemble, Eras, Expression
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day one hundred and twenty-six: ABCs #5 Three McKinley Glee Clubs... so gleeful!


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a second cycle, and then a third, fourth, and fifty cycle. Now here's cycle 6!_

_Walking through a bookstore back in december, I saw the series of books by Sue Grafton that go "A is for...," "B is for...," etc, and I got the idea for this set. It will spread over the end of cycle 6, and carry through cycles 7 and 8, to be posted on alternating days. [And by the time we reach the end, Glee will be a week away!!] What I did is I found three words for each letter that would have some significance to Glee, and I built a plot around it. You with me? Okay, here we go...  
**5 of 26: E is for...**_

* * *

**"Ensemble, Eras, Expression"  
Will, Emma, New Directions, ++**

The whole event had been weeks in the making. Most of this time had to be dedicated to tracking down the sixty-some participants, beside the twelve of New Directions and Will. But between all of them and Emma, the call lists were manageable.

The project had been a joint idea from Will and Emma, after the club had asked after Will's time in Glee Club. Later over dinner, he'd told her about it, and Emma had suggested, mostly as a joke, that he should reunite his club and show the kids what they had. When she had looked back at him, he had that idea face on… and it looked like a big one. He smiled, and he laid it out for her. He didn't want to get too hopeful, knowing how much the whole thing would ride on Principal Figgins giving them the okay.

As with anything, it had taken some convincing. The moment he'd suggested it had potential to bring good press for the school, the principal had extended this to consider budget benefits, and he was in.

There would be three clubs: New Directions, of course, as well as Will's club. The third was selected, having been McKinley's success of the early eighties. The girls were put in charge of tracking them down, with Emma's help, while Will and the guys hit the list from Will's club. Rachel had led the effort to keep them organized.

They'd been a lot more successful than they thought they'd be. In all, they'd gotten thirty members of Will's club, and eighteen from the eighties' club. With Will and Emma as their respective contacts, rehearsal times and places were set, leaving up to them song, choreography, wardrobe… it was all kept fairly hush hush, each club keeping their performance a mystery.

When the day finally came, no one knew what to expect. All Will and Emma had said was that the rehearsals had gone well. They were excited to see it all… that was for certain.

They were back in the rehearsal room, going over things, when they started to notice people in the hall. The audience wasn't due to arrive for a while, so it could only be…

Rachel, Tina, and Brittany peeked out in the hall, finding a small grouping at the trophy case, pointing, talking. Judging from their ages, they imagined they were of the eighties' club. Before they could move out to direct them though, a woman showed up on the other end, near the auditorium.

"Right in here!" she called to the others, who followed her. The three girls followed and, when they saw inside the auditorium, they were in awe. They quickly returned to grab the rest of their club, taking them to see.

If they weren't all there, they were almost all there. They were gathered on and around the stage, talking, meeting with those of the other club. After a moment, Rachel motioned for the others to follow so they could go meet everyone. Of all of them, there were two familiar faces, April Rhodes, and one-time substitute Marcus Finley. But then there were a couple here and there that were known from around Lima.

"Which one of you is Rachel?" one of the eighties men asked. She raised her hand. He smiled, approaching and extending his hand to shake hers. "We spoke on the phone, you were very convincing," he nodded. "Colton Briggs," he introduced himself. "It's been far too long since I've been on this stage," he laughed, and the others smiled. "Or any stage… I'm a lawyer now," he explained.

"It's funnier if you knew him back then," a petite blonde commented, and Colton had to smirk.

"Will!" two voices spoke as one, and they turned to the twins, Leigh and Mara O'Donnell, who had seen their former teammate arrive, accompanied by Emma. His excitement had been palpable all week.

"Ladies," he nodded to the twins before addressing the mass of past and present Glee Club members. "Everything's set for you all to get ready, Emma and I will show you the way." The three groups split, heading off to await show time.

Before long, the auditorium seats had filled. From what they could hear, as the groups crammed into the backstage area, a lot of them were about to show spouses and kids a side they'd never seen… some were nervous, others excited, others didn't want to embarrass their children.

New Directions were up first. They were setting the stage for their guests, and the audience would be primed for the evening. Finn, Rachel, and Puck took the lead throughout the song.

_[F] "This one goes out to the man who mines for miracles / This one goes out to the ones in need / This one goes out to the sinner and the cynical / This ain't about no apology"  
__[R] "This road was paved by the hopeless and the hungry / This road was paved by the winds of change / Walking beside the guilty and the innocent / How will you raise your hand when they call your name?"  
__[ALL] "Yeah, yeah, yeah"_

_[ALL] "We weren't born to follow / Come on and get up off your knees / When life is a bitter pill to swallow / You gotta hold on to what you believe / Believe that the sun will shine tomorrow / And that your saints and sinners bleed / We weren't born to follow / You gotta stand up for what you believe / Let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah"_

_[P] "This one's about anyone who does it differently / This one's about the one who cusses and spits / This ain't about our livin' in a fantasy / This ain't about givin' up or givin' in"  
__[ALL] "Yeah, yeah, yeah"_

_[ALL] "We weren't born to follow / Come on and get up off your knees / When life is a bitter pill to swallow / You gotta hold on to what you believe / Believe that the sun will shine tomorrow / And that your saints and sinners bleed / We weren't born to follow / You gotta stand up for what you believe / Let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah / Let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah_

_We weren't born to follow / Come on and get up off your knees / When life is a bitter pill to swallow / You gotta hold on to what you believe / Believe that the sun will shine tomorrow / And that your saints / and sinners bleed / We weren't born to follow / You gotta stand up for what you believe / Let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah / Let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah_

_We weren't born to follow - oh yeah / We weren't born to follow - oh yeah"_

They exited, half heading left, half right, under the applause. As Kurt exited with the group on the left, he was approached by the petite blonde from the eighties' club. She looked at him and smiled.

"You're Kurt, aren't you?"

"Yes?" he answered, confused. The woman just nodded on, beaming.

"Of course you are, look at you… You've got so much of her in you." Kurt swore a little of his breath escaped him.

"Her?" he repeated. The woman smiled.

"Your mother was one of us, didn't you know?" He didn't.

"My mother was in Glee Club?"

"She was special, we were… good, good friends," she spoke wistfully, remembering her. Looking back to Kurt, she offered her hand. "Evie Dolan. It's a pleasure to meet you. You know she would have been so proud," she nodded. Kurt felt his eyes well up, and he hardly noticed Will and his club had moved into place. Kurt and Evie watched from the wings. This time, the lead vocals went to Will, Marcus, April, and the O'Donnell twins.

_[ALL] "Is this the real life? / Is this just fantasy? / Caught in a landslide / No escape from reality / Open your eyes / Look up to the skies and see"  
__[W] "I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy"  
__[ALL] "Because I'm easy come, easy go / little high, little low"  
__[W] "Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me, to me"_

_[W] "Mama, just killed a man / Put a gun against his head / Pulled my trigger, now he's dead / Mama, life had just begun / But now I've gone and thrown it all away / Mama, oooh... / Didn't mean to make you cry / If I'm not back again this time tomorrow / Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters_

_It's too late, my time has come / Sends shivers down my spine / Body's aching all the time / Goodbye everybody - I've got to go / Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth / Mama, oooh... / I don't want to die / I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all"_

_[A] "I see a little silhouetto of a man"  
__[L&M] "Scaramouche, scaramouche, will you do the fandango?"  
__[A/L/M] "Thunderbolts and lightning - very very frightening me"  
__[A] "Galileo" [L&M] "Galileo"  
__[A] "Galileo" [L&M] "Galileo"  
__[A/L/M] "Galileo Figaro" [ALL] "Magnifico-o-o-o"_

_[Ma] "I'm just a poor boy nobody loves me"  
__[ALL] "He's just a poor boy from a poor family / Spare him his life from this monstrosity"  
__[Ma] "Easy come easy go - will you let me go"  
__[ALL] "It's the LAW! No - we will not let you go - let him go / It's the LAW! We will not let you go - let him go / It's the LAW! We will not let you go - let me go / Will not let you go" [Ma] "Let me go"  
__[ALL] "Never let you go" [Ma] "Let me go / Never let me go – ooo"  
__[ALL] "No, no, no, no, no, no, no –"_

_[Ma] "Oh mamma mia, mamma mia, mamma mia let me go"  
__[ALL] "Beelzebub has the devil put aside for me / for me / for me / for me"  
__[Ma] "So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye? / So you think you can love me and leave me to die? / Oh baby - can't do this to me baby / Just gotta get out - just gotta get right outta here"_

_[ALL] "Ooh yeah, ooh yeah"  
__[W] "Nothing really matters / Anyone can see / Nothing really matters, nothing really matters, to me"_

_[ALL] "Anyway the wind blows..."_

It was all of New Directions who welcomed, with loud cheers and applause, their dear director as he exited after his number. There were chanted cries of 'Go, Schue!' as they laughed and surrounded him.

"Alright guys, let's move out, let the third group go on," he nodded as they stepped aside to let the others through. As she passed by, Evie snatched up Kurt by the shoulders and moved him toward the stage.

"Mr. Schuester, mind if I borrow this one?" she asked, not waiting.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asked, confused. Evie smirked.

"You're going to take her place. She can't be here, but you are."

"I-I don't know the song," he protested, as they weaved through the others, to get into position.

"You'll know it when you hear it, just follow with the others," she nodded. Looking around, Kurt could tell the others were aware he was coming. Colton Briggs gave him a good nod. He would take the lead, accompanied by the club, and their stand-in.

_[C] "What would you do if I sang out of tune / Would you stand up and walk out on me / Lend me your ears, and I'll sing you a song / I will try not to sing out of key."_

_[C] "Oh baby I get by" / [ALL] "By with a little help from my friends"  
__[C] "All I need is my buddies" / [ALL] "Try with a little help from my friends"  
__[C] "I said I want to get high I will" / [ALL] "High with a little help from my friends"  
__[C] "Woo-hoo-hoo-yeah"_

_[C] "What do I do when my love is away" / [ALL] "Does it worry you to be alone?"  
__[C] "No, no / How do I feel at the end of the day" / [ALL] "Are you sad because you're on your own"  
__[C] "I hope you don't say it no more"_

_[ALL] "By with a little help from my friends" / [C] "Gonna get by with my friends"  
__[ALL] "Try with a little help from my friends" / [C] "Hell-hell-hell I will try"  
__[ALL] "High with a little help from my friends" / [C] Keep on getting high I will"_

_[ALL] "Do you need anybody" / [C] "I need someone to love"  
__[ALL] "Could it be anybody" / [C] "All I need is someone, who knows just where I'm going yeah / Somebody who knows quite sure, baby"_

_[ALL] "By with a little help from my friends" / [C] "Said I'm gonna make it with my friends, I will"  
__[ALL] "Try with a little help from my friends" / [C] "Woah-ho I wanna keep on trying"  
__[ALL] "High with a little help from my friends" / [C] "I'm gonna keep on trying"_

_[ALL] "Would you believe in a love at first sight" / [C] "I'm certain it happens all the time"  
__[ALL] "What do you see when you turn out the light" / [C] "I can't tell you but it sure feels like my night"_

_[ALL] "By with a little help from my friends" / [C] "Don't you know I'm gonna make it with my friends"  
__[ALL] "Try with a little help from my friends" / [C] "I promised myself I'd get by"  
__[ALL] "High with a little help from my friends" / [C] "Said I'm gonna try but not too hard"_

_[ALL] "Do you need anybody" / [C] "Ohaaa - yeah, yeah, yeah"  
__[ALL] "Could it be anybody" / [C] Oh there's gotta be somebody / Oh yeah yeah"_

_[ALL] "By with a little help from my friends" / [C] "Said I'm gonna get by with my friends, I tell ya"  
__[ALL] "Try with a little help from my friends" / [C] "Oh yes I'm gonna keep trying"  
__[ALL] "High with a little help from my friends" / [C] "Keep on trying with my friends"  
__[ALL] "By with a little help from my friends" / [C] "Oh you never gonna stop me anymore"  
__[ALL] "Try with a little help from my friends" / [C] "I'm gonna keep on trying"  
__[ALL] "High with a little help from my friends" / [C] "Get on high, I'm gonna make time oh lord / Gonna get by with my friends"_

THE END


End file.
